THE FINNISH SNIPER WHO FROZE SOVIETS IN THEIR TRACKS
flying. He placed snow on top of his rifle to avoid steam rising after firing and even held snow in his mouth to keep his breath invisible. Häyhä once killed 25 soldiers in one day and struck fear into the heart of his enemy. Due to his seeming invisibility, the Soviets began calling him “The White Death.” The opposing army
When the Soviet Union invaded Finland on the eve of World War II, it held a stunning battlefield advantage. While the invading Soviet army numbered 750,000 troops, Finland’s military was only 300,000 men. But Finland had a secret weapon: “The White Death,” a sniper who killed at least 505 soldiers in less than 100 days. Simo Häyhä was an unassuming man who stood only 5 feet tall and likely would not have left Soviet troops shaking in their boots. But what he lacked in stature, he more than made up for in skill. Häyhä grew up competing in sharpshooting competitions and often targeted skittish birds that would fly away at the slightest sound. His marksmanship and stealth were not the only reason for his success. He shared an advantage with other Finnish soldiers thanks to white uniforms that made them difficult to spot in the snow during the winter war. But Häyhä took additional measures to conceal himself from sharp-eyed enemies. He refused to use a scope, convinced the glint of the sun against it would give away his position. Häyhä also hid himself in snowdrifts where the enemy could not see him and melted the nearest snow on the ground with water so his shots wouldn’t send powder
made many failed attempts on his life. But after spending 98 days on the battlefield, the Soviets finally hit Häyhä in the jaw with an exploding bullet 11 days before winning the war. Though the bullet destroyed the lower half of his face, Häyhä miraculously survived an 11-day coma and 26 reconstructive surgeries. He never looked or spoke the same way again, but his disability did not prevent him from living a long life. Häyhä participated in competitive shooting and moose hunting for many years, eventually dying in 2002 at 96. Today, he still holds the record as history’s most successful sniper.
LegacyCareLaw.com 3
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator